


Crash

by justanoutlaw



Series: Crash [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Minor Character Death, Moving On, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Past Daniel Colter/Evil Queen | Regina Mills, Secrets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-08-23 09:00:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16615949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/pseuds/justanoutlaw
Summary: Regina Mills is finally allowing herself to be happy after 5 years of sobriety. When she finds love for the first time since her divorce, she's over the moon...until her past comes back to haunt her.





	1. April 12th, 2013

In A.A, everyone has a story of the moment they hit rock bottom. Some find themselves selling their bodies for their next bottle of vodka. Others steal from their children’s college fund so they can spend all day the bar, getting drunk to forget what was on their mind.

 

For Regina, it was the night of April 12th, 2013.

 

Daniel had called and asked if she could come pick him up from work. His car wouldn’t start and he didn’t want to bother with a cab. Regina asked their next door neighbor to keep an eye on Henry and she headed down to the office. They didn’t talk much as they started the drive back to the house, they didn’t talk much at all anymore. The man that had once looked at her as if she hung the moon, now found it hard to look her in the eye. He was overreacting, at least that’s what she told herself.

 

Regina would argue with herself over what happened for the next few years. Did her vision get foggy and that’s why she had to swerve? Did she really not see that stop sign? The truth was, she didn’t remember much about the crash. One moment, she was driving her husband home, the sounds Queen playing through the stereo. The next, she was waking up in a strange white room. Her head was pounding and she could barely make out her surroundings.

 

“Daniel,” she slurred. “My husband. Daniel.”

“He’s talking to the police ma’am,” a feminine voice cut in. Regina attempted to look at her, but she couldn’t. “Do you remember what happened?”

“Driving home, it was quiet.”

“You’re at Storybrooke General. You were in a car accident, Mrs. Colter. Your husband swerved to miss a deer and you crashed into someone.”

 

She knew she should argue that he hadn’t been driving, but she was too tired. Maybe she had simply misunderstood. So, Regina allowed her eyes to close again and she didn’t wake up for another few hours. When she did, the headache was gone and all she felt was a little pain in her leg. Regina turned and found Daniel sitting by her bed, looking pensive. He had a white bandage on his forehead and she could see the dried reddish brown blood showing through it.

 

“Daniel.”

He looked at her, really looked at her for the first time in months and she suddenly wished that he hadn’t. “How are you feeling?”

“My leg hurts.”

“The doctors say you broke your leg. You’ll need surgery, but outside that, you’re fine.”

“Your forehead…”

“Just a little bleeding, some glass got caught there. No stitches.”

“Thank God.”

 

There was a silence and she didn’t understand. If he was okay and she was going to be okay, then why did he look so upset?

 

“Daniel, earlier…the nurse said something about you driving. That’s not how I remember it.”

Daniel got up and walked over to the door, poking his head out before coming back in and shutting it. “That’s because I lied.”

“Huh?”

“After the crash, I moved you to the passenger seat.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because I didn’t know if you had been drinking and the passenger in the other car wasn’t moving.”

“Is she…”

“She’s dead, Regina. I did CPR, I tried, but there was nothing she could do. Died on impact.”

 

Regina’s hand shakily covered her mouth. She blinked a few times, trying to tell herself this wasn’t real. It was all just a bad dream.

 

“Were you drinking tonight, Regina?” Daniel asked. Regina looked up at him with wide eyes. “Tell me you weren’t drinking. Tell me that this was a freak accident and I lied for nothing.”

“I…Daniel…I…”

“Dammit Regina!”

The tears started to fall down her face. “I had a bottle of wine after I put Henry to bed.”

“Jesus Christ!”

 

Daniel kicked a trashcan and started pacing the room. Before the drinking started, Regina had never seen him angry. Now, all she seemed to do was make him mad. The tears pooled up in her eyes and she felt them threaten to fall down her cheeks.

 

“You…you could’ve killed both of us tonight!”

“You said you needed a ride home from work!”

“If you had been drinking, then you could’ve had the neighbor do it.”

“Daniel…”

“Do you realize that if I hadn’t lied, you’d be in jail right now? God, how could I not even tell that you had been? Are you that sneaky with it now?”

“Daniel, please, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry isn’t going to fix this. Sorry, isn’t going to bring that woman back!”

 

Regina buried her head in her hands and let out a loud sob. For once, Daniel didn’t come and comfort her. He was letting her cry and she couldn’t blame him. She had killed someone. Even if it wasn’t intentional, a woman was dead because she wanted to spend a few extra moments with her husband.

 

What the hell had she been thinking?

 

After all her tears were gone, Regina looked back at her husband. Just like before, it was as if he couldn’t look her in the eye. “I’m sorry,” she croaked. “I’m gonna stop, I promise. I’ll get help, I’ll go to A.A…”

“That’s great, Regina, but I’m done.”

“Daniel.”

“No. You…you have to stay here a few days, have surgery on your leg and all that. I’ll call Mal, have her come stay with you while you recover.”

“Whoa, whoa.” Regina sat up straighter in bed, ignoring the pain that was searing through her leg. “Wait, we can discuss this.”

“We’ve been discussing this for months, Regina, and nothing’s changed. Tomorrow, I’m taking Henry and I’m moving back in with my mother.”

* * *

 

Robin hated traveling. His parents were gone, but once a year his grandparents would send him a plane ticket and ask him for a visit. Normally Roland and Marian came along, but that time, she had to stay behind for work. So, it had been a boys’ trip. Roland loved going to England, seeing the sights and getting to see his great-grandparents. Robin loved his grandma and granddad, he was surprised they were still kicking it. It was just the long flight and the crappy food and movie choices that bugged him.

 

He was so ready to crash into bed when they got to the airport. Holding a sleeping 3-year-old son in his arms, he maneuvered his way to the baggage claim and grabbed their luggage. He was so excited to see his wife’s face, to kiss her and ask her all about how the past two weeks had been for her.

 

When he got to the pickup though, he found his good friend Killian standing there. Robin and Killian had been best friends growing up. They chose to move to America when they were 18, looking for a fresh start after some pretty heavy losses. Robin wouldn’t know what to do without his best friend, but it was odd to see him standing there when he had been expecting his wife.

 

“Killian,” he said. “What’s going on? Where’s Marian?”

“I uh, why don’t we sit down, mate?”

Robin took a step backwards. “I think I’m fine standing.”

He sighed, running his hand through his hair. “I got a call from Marian’s mum when she couldn’t get ahold of you.”

“I was in the air. Why is Marian’s mom calling you? Where is Marian?”

“Robin.” Killian placed a hand on his shoulder. “Marian was on her way home from work tonight, when she got hit by another car. They checked on her at the scene, but she died on impact. I am so, so sorry.”

 

Robin heard the words, but they didn’t register for a good few minutes. Once they did, he dropped the bags and gently placed Roland into Killian’s arms. He struggled to find his balance as he dropped into a chair. Suddenly, his friend seemed very far away and nothing he said made a lick of sense. He didn’t move, he didn’t say anything in response. Killian eventually got the help of a medic, who informed him that his friend was in shock.

 

It was an hour into the car ride home, that Robin finally broke down. The tears started falling and they didn’t stop, not for at least a week.


	2. 5 Years Later

5 years sober.

 

As Regina held the chip in her hand, it felt heavy. The first year had been hell, the second had been a breeze but she had nearly slipped up in the third. The following two had been what she would consider her new normal. She went to work every day, had her son for most of the month and when she went out with friends, she was the one that said to the waiter “I’ll stick with water, thanks.”

 

She had graduated from therapy and only went if she felt like there was something she needed to talk about, but A.A meetings were still a weekly occurrence. She no longer just had a sponsor, but was one herself. Regina was so proud of Killian Jones. He had kicked the habit and had been able to get his daughter back from the system.

  
“To sobriety,” Killian said, lifting his water glass.

Regina smiled. “To sobriety.” She clinked hers with his. “One year. How does it feel?”

“Pretty damn good. The social worker will only be checking up on me for 6 more months.”

“I get how that is. Just remember, it’s not just for Alice. It’s for you too.”

“I know.” Killian smiled. “I appreciate you doing all of this for me, Regina. I know you’re busy.”

“When I started A.A, Mal was by my side day and night. Of course I’m going to do the same for you.”

 

Killian had started drinking heavily after the death of a very close friend of his. He had a number of drunken one night stands that gave him Alice. He tried to clean up his act for her, but when she nearly drowned because he had spent the night drinking, she had been removed from his care. When Killian entered A.A, it had been court ordered but a year later, he knew it was for the best. He reminded Regina a lot of herself. Killian now had a job again, along with a place to live. Alice was more than happy to be reunited with her papa. She was so young, she’d most likely never remember the year they were forced to spend apart.

 

“I’m having a BBQ this weekend, to celebrate,” he said. “I’m inviting some people from A.A, along with some of my old friends-the good ones. You should bring Henry.”

“I’d love to. Daniel’s dropping him off tonight, so we’ll be all set. I’m sure he’ll love to see Alice.”

“Still begging you for a baby sister of his own?”

Regina gently rolled her eyes. “Yeah. I’m leaving that to his dad for the moment.”

 

After their lunch, Regina headed back home. She had sold the mansion she once shared with Daniel on Mifflin Street, it just didn’t feel the same anymore. Now she resided in a cozy three bedroom, with a nice backyard for Henry and garden for her. She had planted an apple tree her first night of A.A and she loved watching it grow along side of her. According to the books, she still had another year before it’d bear any fruit, but she was patient.

 

A few hours later, the doorbell rang and Regina found Daniel and Henry on the other side. Her son had grown up so quickly, already standing tall at 11-years-old. He threw his arms around her and she squeezed him back just as tight.

 

“Hey honey.” Regina kissed the top of his head. “How was your week with your dad?”

“Awesome. We went to so many museums and Dad got me a ton of new books.”

“Did you read all of them in one sitting?”

“I still had a few left.”

Regina laughed. “Say goodbye and then wash up for dinner.”

Henry quickly hugged his father. “Bye Dad. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Daniel nodded, kissing his cheek. “Alright, bud. Be good for your mom.”

 

Henry dashed into the kitchen, leaving the two exes lingering in the doorway. 5 years ago, there would’ve been a lot of awkward tension, but Regina found it easy to smile around Daniel again. He had been true to his word. The morning after her accident, he had packed up then 6-year-old Henry and moved in with his mother. The divorce papers came a few months later and Daniel got full custody for the first year and a half, while Regina agreed that every other weekend visits would work best while she fought for her sobriety. Two years in, Daniel had agreed to 50/50 custody and things had worked out well. Not long after that, however, he got a job in Boston that would mean more money and better opportunity. After much discussion, it was decided that Henry would stay with his mother and have bi-weekend visitation with his father, switching holidays around. It had been a hard adjustment for all of them, but now it was second nature.

 

Regina would be lying if she said she didn’t miss Daniel. She had thought that maybe if she showed she was getting sober that he’d stop the divorce, but the truth was, their marriage had been over long before the accident. After the first terrible incident, they had both pushed each other away. They’d always love each other, they’d always be each other’s firsts, but they simply weren’t meant to be. A part of recovery was acceptance and they had both reached that over the years.

 

“So, I can meet you halfway next time?” Regina offered.

“Actually, I’ll be coming into town on Thursday to visit with my mom, so that’s not necessary.” He hesitated off Regina’s nod. “And I’ll um, I’ll be bringing Ariel with me.”

“Ariel?”

“We’ve been seeing each other for a while. I think it’s time for her to meet Henry.”

“Oh.”

“Regina…”

“No, Daniel, it’s only right. It’s been 5 years. I’m honestly surprised this is the first girl you’ve seriously dated since me.”

“Well, you’re a tough act to follow.”

Regina softly smiled. “Back at you.”

“Maybe it’s time you start seeing someone too. That guy you’ve been sponsoring?”

Regina couldn’t help but laugh. “Killian? Yeah, no. But…you may be right about moving on.”

“You deserve to be happy. No matter what happened, you know that now, don’t you?”

“Yeah. Tell me what time you want me to meet up with you and Ariel next weekend, okay? Have a safe trip back.”

 

She shut the door once he walked off to his car and leaned against it, reflecting on his words. It had taken her a long time to accept what she had done. She hadn’t allowed herself to be happy for a long time, but maybe it was time. Regina had done her best to make up for her past, now it was time to do something for herself.

* * *

 

Robin stood back, watching Roland run around with the other kids. He hadn’t spent too much time at Killian’s house in the past year, but it was comforting to be back there. A part of him would always feel guilty for not spotting the problems that Killian was facing, but his friend had assured him that it wasn’t his fault. Between grieving Marian’s death and becoming a sudden single father to a then 2-year-old, it didn’t allow him to see much else outside his son. He always knew that Killian enjoyed drinking, but he hadn’t seen the big problem until Alice had been taken away by social services. He wished there had been more he could do for his friend, but in the end, all he could do was be supportive through his recovery.

 

Now, things were better, for all of them. It had been 5 years since the accident and Robin had found his new normal. He was able to fall asleep at night, whether it be on his side of the bed or the one that Marian once slept on. He could say her name and not break down into tears. Robin could actually look into his son’s eyes and not want to sob because all he saw was Marian. He’d never forget her, but life had gotten easier. As his therapist had told him, that was what moving on was all about.

 

A lot of their friends hadn’t stuck by Killian’s side after he had Alice taken away, so Robin found himself not knowing a lot of people at the BBQ. Most of them he figured were from his A.A meetings and there were a few neighbors there as well. He wasn’t used to being the odd man out and he knew he should socialize, but it was easier to just lean back sometimes.

 

“Robin!” He looked up and saw Killian standing by the grill. “I’ve got to change Alice real quick, can you watch the burgers?”

“Of course.”

 

Robin headed over and took his spot, spatula in hand. He watched the meat, flipping it every so often, watching it slowly turn from pink to brown.

 

“Man, you trying to kill the cow all together?”

 

He found himself eye to eye with a petite woman. She had raven black hair and deep brown eyes. She was wearing a gray dress with white polka dots, with a pair of bright red flats which added some color the ensemble. She had one eyebrow raised in almost mock teasing.

 

“I’d just rather not eat beef tartar,” he shot back.

She rolled her eyes. “There’s a difference between raw and ruining a perfectly good hamburger.”

“You think you can do much better?”

“I happen to know I can. My dad owned a restaurant, I spent a lot of time in kitchens when I was younger.”

“Then you know people have different tastes.”

“Stupid tastes.”

Robin couldn’t help but chuckle. “You often pick fight with strangers?”

“Only when they ruin perfectly good slabs of meat.”

Even when the laughter stopped, a smile remained on his lips. “I’m Robin.” He held out his free hand.

The woman shook it, her own lips tugging upwards into a grin. “Regina. Killian’s sponsor.”

“Oh, you’re the one he’s always talking about.”

“Always?”

“You helped save his life.”

“I just helped him work the program.” Regina waved him off. “He mentioned you quite a bit, though.”

“Oh?”

“In A.A we talk about two groups of friends: friends to avoid if you should stay sober and ones to surround yourself with to do the same. The ironic part is, a lot of the latter are ones you probably chased off with your drinking.”

“Well, I would never imagine walking away from Killian. He went through a hard time, we all did.”

“You were friends with Marian too?”

“A bit more than that. She was my wife.”

 

Robin watched the smile drain from her face and a familiar look took its place. Whether it were people he knew before the crash or those that he met after. All of them got that same look, the one any widow could place. Big frown, creased forehead. He waited for the words that almost always followed, but they didn’t come.

 

“I can’t imagine.”

Robin nodded, a bit shocked and happy that an apology hadn’t followed. “I was so wrapped up in myself for a long time, I didn’t see what Killian was going through.”

“You can’t blame yourself. My ex-husband witnessed it but there wasn’t much he could do. It’s up to the person to get sober.”

 

Robin found his smile coming back and it seemed to make Regina’s appear again as well. They stood there for a moment, until the screen door slammed behind them. Nearly both jumped and found Killian standing there with his daughter on his hip. He smiled, looking between the two of them.

 

“Oh, you two met.”

“We did.” Regina wiped her palms on her dress. “Your friend here ruins burgers.’

Robin rolled his eyes. “Yours clearly wants to die of mad cow disease.”

Killian shook his head. “I should’ve known. I’ll take over here.”

 

Robin and Regina walked over to the drinks table. He watched as Roland chased around an older boy and he nearly went to stop him, but he noticed the kid didn’t seem to mind. He showed Roland how his NERF gun worked and let him have a few shots with it.

 

“Henry always wanted a little sibling,” Regina mused.

“Oh, he’s yours?”

She nodded. “Yup. I’m assuming the little one belongs to you?”

“Roland.”

“He’s adorable, has your dimples.”

Robin smiled, unintentionally showing them off. “Thank you.”

“You know, if the boys are playing so well…maybe they’d like to have a playdate.”

“A playdate? You think your pre-teen would have one with my 7-year-old?”

“He’d love it. And we can have a playdate of our own.” She made a face. “Not in a dirty way, but ya know…”

Robin shook his head, the smile not leaving his face. “I’ll bring the snacks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have questions for me or the characters? Follow me on Tumblr: findingtallahassee and Twitter/CuriousCat: justanoutlawfic! And of course, let me know what you think. :)


	3. The Playdate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: mentions of cancer.

Regina stood in front of her mirror, putting on her earrings. As she stared at the corner of it, she saw a picture tucked in there. Most days, she could look at it without wanting to cry, but there were others that grief snuck up on her.

 

Cora Mills had two daughters. Zelena was from a college romance that ended in nothing but heartbreak. Her father hadn’t stuck around and a few years later, Cora had met Henry Sr. He was the youngest son of an affluent family, desperate for love. He lavished Cora and Zelena with gifts, showing the former that she could finally escape poverty. They married after only 3 months of dating and he adopted Zelena. Regina had been born not long after.

 

Growing up with Cora as a mother was no easy feat. Both Zelena and Regina were expected to be nothing but the best. They were pressured to get the best grades, have friends from similar circles and date no one but the best. By the time they were teenagers, Henry and Cora left them to their own devices. It was Zelena that was constantly bailing Regina out, making sure she wasn’t getting into too much trouble. They were known as inseparable, going almost everywhere together.

 

Zelena had been by Regina’s side when she married Daniel, despite Cora’s critical eye (Daniel was “new money”, which wasn’t acceptable). She had been Henry’s godmother. Regina didn’t know what she would do without her sister.

 

Then Zelena revealed that she had to go in for surgery. She played it off like it was nothing, saying she needed to get a simple mole removed. A few months later, she revealed to her sister that she had skin cancer and that it was spreading. It was Regina’s turn to be there for Zelena. She drove her to chemotherapy, cleaned her house and helped refer Zelena’s clients to another nutritionist while she recovered. Cora wasn’t good with sick people and Henry Sr. had passed by that point, so it was just the two of them, with Daniel and Henry Jr. helping as well.

 

Only a year into treatment, Zelena got way worse. It wasn’t long before the doctor recommended she get her affairs in order. She was preparing for hospice, but didn’t even make it there. She died before Regina could get to the hospital after work that day.

 

The whole thing had taken a toll on Regina. For the past 12 months, her life had revolved solely around her sister. Suddenly, she was gone. She got through the funeral and went back to work the following week, but nothing seemed to numb the pain. Zelena’s illness had caused a rift she hadn’t expected in her marriage. Daniel was supportive and did more of his fair share when it came to Henry, but she had been so focused on her sister, she had forgotten to think about his needs. He was there for her, but it was clear things were different. He was willing to work it out, but Regina was just in too much pain. It was easier to just push him away, so that was what she did.

 

She had started drinking at a young age, as most people did in her social circle considering how unsupervised they became in their teens. It had never been a problem and she cut back considerably by the time she got to college. So, it wasn’t a big deal when she’d have a glass of wine after work. Then that’d lead to two. Soon, she was putting away more than she cared to admit and was moving onto harder liquor.

 

Daniel didn’t notice at first. It wasn’t odd for her to get a drink or two on their date nights. Then, she had shown up buzzed to Henry’s parent teacher conferences. He had tried to convince her she needed help, but she assured him it was fine. That only further pushed the two further away. Their marriage was deteriorating and Regina kept waiting for the day that he’d leave her.

 

She just never expected what would cause him to do so.

 

The thought of the woman she killed still haunted her. No amount of therapy or A.A meetings were going to take those thoughts from her mind. She had killed a woman, one that probably had a family. Daniel and Mal had never told her who it was, and she had decided not to look into it. Maybe it was the coward’s way out, but she didn’t want to know.

 

“Mom!” Henry’s voice carried from the other room, breaking her out of her thoughts. “We have to go to Robin’s.”

“I know, I know.” She grabbed her purse off the dresser and walked into his bedroom. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“Yeah, Roland was cool.”

“I just know he’s a bit younger than you.”

“I think you just want to hang out with his dad.”

Regina tilted her head. “That’s not true.”

“Yes it is, I saw how you two were talking at Killian’s BBQ.”

“We’re just friends. Not even.”

“It’d be okay if you dated, you know,” Henry said, putting some comic books in his backpack. “Dad is.”

“How do you know that?”

“He told me the last time I was there.”

“Yeah, we talked about it.” Regina sat on his bed, smoothing down the covers. “Are you okay with that?”

Henry shrugged. “I guess. I mean I never actually thought that the two of you were going to get back together.”

Regina flinched at his honesty. “I’m sorry, honey.”

“It’s okay. You and Dad are better as friends. You don’t fight anymore and you can actually smile around each other. I just want you both to be happy.”

“That’s what we want for you too, you know,” Regina said. “If you don’t like Ariel, then you can say something to him.”

“I know, but I’m sure I’ll like her. Just like I think Robin is cool.”

Regina rolled her eyes. “Well, we’re not dating, but it’s good to know. Come on, we’re going to be late.”

* * *

 

Robin settled next to Regina on the porch, watching the boys chase each other around the front yard. It was nice to see how well the boys got along, despite their age difference. Henry had brought a lot of superhero stuff, which happened to be right up Roland’s alley. Robin wasn’t much for comic books and action figures, so it was good that Roland could make friends that seemed to enjoy them as much as he did.

 

“Thanks for having us over,” Regina said. “Henry hasn’t been able to stop talking about Roland since the BBQ.”

“Same with Roland.” Robin took a sip of his lemonade. “Honestly, I’m just glad he’s making friends. He struggled with it a bit early on.”

“Oh?”

“He was a bit too young to understand his mother’s death when it happened, but eventually seeing the other kids with moms was hard and he pulled back. Alice was easy to play with, since Killian’s another single dad, but he didn’t really start making other friends until this year.”

Regina frowned. “That’s awful. Henry’s always sort of been a loner, but he’s always had a good group for himself.”

“I don’t really blame the kids. I was never exactly Mr. Popular.”

“You?” Regina raised an eyebrow. “I would’ve thought you’d have all the girls over you?”

Robin winked, flexing a bit. “You saying I’m attractive?”

Regina rolled her eyes. “I just mean, you’re very charismatic.”

“I wasn’t always as confident and outgoing as I am now. Killian was probably my only friend back in high school. We came to America together at 18.”

“That couldn’t have been easy.”

“It wasn’t, but we made it through together.” He broke his glance away from the boys for a moment. “So, what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Were you the shy, geeky girl in high school? Or super popular?”

 

Regina laughed, taking a sip of her lemonade.

 

“I was sort of in the middle,” she said. “My sister and I went to this private school, it was small enough where we all knew each other. I mostly tagged along and hung out with her friends. Partied a lot, that’s what made me well known.”

“Ah, party girl.”

“I left it all in my teens, cleaned my act up with college. It’s where I met my ex, actually.”

“How long were you two married?”

“10 years.”

“Wow.”

“What about you and Marian?”

“Just shy of 8.” He played with the straw in his glass. “If you don’t mind me asking…”

“My divorce?” Off Robin’s shy nod, she sighed. “It was a lot of things. My sister got sick and during that time, I was so focused on her, everything else took second place, including my marriage.”

“I can see how that would happen.”

“After she passed, I was so wrapped up in my own grief that it lead to my drinking and I just continued to push him away. To give Daniel credit, he tried for a really long time but I had given up. Then when I was scared, I tried to put things back together but it was too late.”

Robin frowned, squeezing her hand. “I’m sorry.”

Regina shook her head. “Don’t be. We were in love at one point and I do still love him, but not in the way you’re supposed to love your spouse. It’s all for the best and now we manage to get along for more than just Henry’s sake.”

“That’s good.” Robin bit his lip. “Marian and I were having some marital problems before she died.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, we were arguing about a lot of things. Her career was expanding and she really wanted to move, I wanted to stay put. It blew up and soon, we were even talking about separating.”

“Ouch.”

“We made it through, just barely. Started going to marital counseling and all that. Then I decided to take Roland to visit my family in England. She wasn’t happy about that, we were just getting back on track, but I went anyway.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Still one of the biggest regrets I have.”

“There’s nothing you could’ve done, It was a car accident, right?”

“Yeah. No foul play, just a freak thing.”

“Exactly. Even  if you had been home, there was nothing you could’ve done.”

Robin sighed. “I know that. I just wish I could’ve had those last few weeks with her. I’d give anything for that.”

“I get how that feels. I’d do anything for one last hour with my sister. There’s so much I never got to tell her. She wasn’t much for the sentimental.”

Robin chuckled. “Neither was Marian.”

“Sounds like they were a lot alike.” Regina raised her lemonade glass. “To Marian and Zelena.”

“To Marian and Zelena.” Robin clinked his glass with hers.

 

They sat on the porch for a bit longer, getting to know each other more. They got to know more about their jobs, Regina was in advertising for her parents’ restaurant chain while Robin owned the gym downtown. They spent a lot of time talking about the pros and cons of owning their own business, single parenthood and debated the new principal that had been hired at the local high school.

 

Pretty soon, it was time for dinner and Robin invited Regina and Henry to stay. The boys talked mostly about Infinity War while Regina and Robin shot small smiles back and forth to one another. The night dragged on and they even watched a movie together. Eventually, both boys had fallen asleep curled up together. Robin lifted Roland into his arms and Regina gently shook Henry awake, leading him outside to the car. Robin followed behind them, watching as she shut the passenger side door behind her son. She turned to face him, smiling.

 

“Thanks for having us, it was a lot of fun.”

“It was,” he replied, softly. “I was wondering if maybe we could do this again, maybe just the two of us.”

Regina paused. “You mean, like a date?”

“If you’d be okay with that.”

A slow smile formed across her face, he could see it in the glow of the streetlights. “I’d like that,” she said. “Henry goes with his dad next weekend, so I’ll be free.”

“I’m sure Killian would be happy to babysit.”

“I’ll text you with the details?”

“Leave it all up to me, after all I asked you.”

Regina looked hesitated, but still nodded. “Alright then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have questions for me or the characters? Follow me on Tumblr: findingtallahassee and Twitter/CuriousCat: justanoutlawfic! And of course, let me know what you think. :)


	4. Family Dinner

As Regina pulled in front of her mother’s house the following evening, she did her best to suppress a sigh. She knew that she could call off the dinner. There were times that she had in the past. Regina could take Henry to Granny’s for burgers and he wouldn’t question it. He was always polite to his grandmother, but would complain about whatever concoction she had forced them to eat once they were back in the safety of her Mercedes. Unlike Daniel’s side of the family-who Henry always loved to visit-he never asked when they would see Grandma next. Regina didn’t blame him. If it weren’t for the date inked in red on her calendar, she’d like to forget it as well.

 

With ditching dinner, however, would mean a guilt trip. They weren’t rare for mothers and Regina knew that. She also knew that Cora had a lot of honesty in hers. Henry and Regina really were the only family Cora Mills had left in the world.

 

Cora hadn’t always been wealthy. She had grown up the daughter of two very poor factory workers, that liked their beer. Cora had busted her butt to make it through college. Despite one bump along the way when it came to Zelena’s father, she had been successful. Not long after graduating, she met Henry Sr. He was the youngest son of the Mills family, far off from inheriting the family business. Even so, he had a comfortable income and being a single mom wasn’t exactly the best look for Cora. So, the two got married and he adopted then 2-year-old Zelena. Regina had come along not after that.

 

“Are we going inside?” Henry asked, breaking through her thoughts. “Or are we making a break and going to Granny’s?”

Regina smiled over at him. “Sorry, bud. We’re going inside.”

 

Henry made a face, but then got out of the car with his mom. Regina lead him to the door, ringing the bell. The housekeeper ushered them in, taking their light jackets and leading them into the living room. Cora changed things throughout the house like a person changed their underwear. It had always bothered Regina, as she wished that she could have pieces that she could connect to memories. After she and Daniel split, they had divided possessions so not only Henry but they could have that.

 

The house hadn’t always been quiet and cold. There had been a time when parties would be thrown weekly As children, Zelena and Regina would sneak down from their bedrooms when they were meant to be asleep. They’d grab different foods and go back on up to Zelena’s room, listening to the classical music and mild chatter from below. Often times, they’d dress up in their mother’s clothes over their nightgowns and mock the uppity.

 

When they were teenagers and their parents left for long stretches of time, the girls would throw their own parties. They were never as dignified as their parents’, of course. Regina could remember desperately trying to get wine out of the carpet before Cora realized what had gone on.

 

Once upon a time, Regina had been really happy in that house. Even after Henry Sr. died, she had Zelena to help get her through the dinners. Now, she had Henry, but he wasn’t old enough to quite understand Cora’s comments. Luckily, Cora never said anything negative about Daniel in front of him, and that was all Regina cared about.

 

“You came,” Cora said, rising from her seat. “And you brought my grandson.”

“I tell you that I always will, unless he’s with his father,” Regina replied, kissing her mother’s cheek.

Cora gave her a look before hugging her grandson. “How is your schooling, Henry?”

“It’s good,” Henry replied. “We’re learning about World War II right now.”

 

Luckily for Regina, that took up much of Cora’s attention. She was quite the history buff and gently quizzed Henry on all he was learning. Regina listened in, making sure her mother wasn’t being too hard. She tried not to be too protective when it came to Henry and her mother, but it was hard. Cora would never purposefully hurt her grandson, but it didn’t mean that she never had. Henry wasn’t the kind of kid to play sports, he preferred to read comic books and write his own stories. If you asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, his dream was to be an author. That wasn’t practical in Cora’s mind and she had said it quite a few times. Luckily, Henry just brushed it off. Regina didn’t want him to have to do that, though.

 

 Family was supposed to be a safe space, or at least that’s how she had once felt around her father and sister. In Daniel’s family, everyone was so supportive. His mom still called Regina once every few months and she did some business with his brother William, who was always kind to her. The Colters were such a departure from Cora Mills, but Regina had long given up wishing her mother was any different. It was a waste of a wish.

 

Eventually, the housekeeper stepped into announce that dinner was ready. Regina followed her mother and son into the dining room. Cora had selected some sort of fancy chicken for the main course, that even made the adventurous Regina’s stomach turn. Either way, she politely dug in. When the cook went around the table with a bottle of red, Regina gently turned him down, which caught Cora’s eye.

 

“You can’t have just a glass?”

Regina bit her tongue. If she had told her mother once, she had told her a thousand times. “I don’t drink alcohol, Mother.”

“I just don’t understand the trend.” Cora took a sip of her own glass. “In our circle, we drink. I can’t imagine how insulting it is to your colleagues or business associates when you turn them down.”

 

Regina resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It was true that in her line of work, she was offered alcohol at business dinners or when she went to the restaurants to check on things. Normally, no one made a big deal or was insulted. There were a few times she could see someone was offended that she didn’t want to try their personally selected house white, but Regina wasn’t going to risk sobriety for a client. If they couldn’t respect her, then they weren’t worth it. Cora didn’t like that, not one bit.

 

 Sometimes, Regina regretted going into the family business. Zelena had been smart, she hadn’t wanted to touch it with a ten foot pole. So, she got her degree in nutrition. Meanwhile, Regina and Daniel had both attended business school. While he took on a position at another corporation, Regina followed in her father’s footsteps until his death, when she then took over. She was still under her mother’s thumb, even if Cora didn’t show her face at the office. Regina liked to joke to her colleagues that her mother watched them all from an ivory tower, only coming down when it was convenient.

 

Regina watched her mother slowly drink the wine, knowing that it wasn’t her only glass for the night. She had learned better than to classify others as an alcoholic before they were ready, but it wasn’t a secret to Regina that Cora had a problem. From what Regina had heard, it was all hereditary on her mother’s side. She had never known her maternal grandparents, but according to Henry Sr., his mother-in-law had died from psoriasis of the liver and his father-in-law was in a workplace accident due to alcohol consumption. Cora had always prided herself in being better, but she wasn’t, not really. Regina could recall the many nights where her mother would put away bottles of wine. The maids would bring out garbage bags from the master suite on a weekly basis. If Cora had to go a night without alcohol, Regina worried for her mental state.

 

All of that said, Cora still refused to admit she had a problem. She was highly embarrassed from Regina doing so. Despite no one in their circle knowing that she went to A.A, Cora worried they would. She always worried what people would say, more than she would at the fact that her daughter was going through a traumatic event. When Cora caught wind of Daniel getting full custody of Henry, she worried more about how it’d make the company look, rather than Regina. Appearances were everything and Regina understood why, even if the rest of the world didn’t. Cora had spent her whole childhood, having no say of how she was perceived to the world. She was forced to wear ratty clothes and reek of the cigarettes her parents smoked in the house. Now that she was older and had money, she would do all she could to control how others saw her and her family.

 

Even if it meant pushing Regina away in the process.

 

“Well, luckily I don’t think Remy is offended that I turned it down,” Regina said, finally. She took a sip of her water. “Besides, we’re not here to discuss work. We leave that behind at the office, do we not?”

Cora eyed her daughter, but finally nodded. “Of course, dear. Whatever you say.” She turned her attention back to Henry. “So, Henry, tell me more about what you’re learning in school. Surely, it’s more than the war.”

 

Just like that, they suddenly had nothing to discuss. It was sad, but a true part of their life. Outside work and Cora occasionally commenting on how Regina would be perceived to others, they didn’t have much of a relationship. It was sad to think that Cora got along better with Henry than her. It made Regina feel lonely in Cora’s home. She looked around the table, taking in where Henry Sr. and Zelena would’ve been sitting at this meal. Henry Sr. would’ve been quiet, not wanting to step on his wife’s toes, but Zelena would be nudging Regina and making some comment about their mother.

 

It suddenly made the bottle of wine sitting at the center of the table look at all that more appealing. Regina cleared her throat and turned away from it, listening to Henry talk about his Science class. She’d call Mal when they were back at home, if it wasn’t too late. In the meantime, she kept repeating in her head of all the things she got to keep with her sobriety.

 

Henry. He was the most important. She was not going to lose him again. Those two years had been hell, only getting him on weekends.

 

Her job. This made sure that she could provide for Henry. She highly doubted Cora would fire her, but it was still important.

 

Being on good terms with Daniel. She had fought hard for that.

 

The pride that came with knowing that she was sober. She had worked like hell for the chips that she kept in the clay pot in her home office. It wouldn’t be worth it to throw all that away for a glass of wine.

 

She had to drive home and she wasn’t going to make that same mistake twice. She thought of the person she had killed, just as she did every day. She couldn’t take another life like that.

 

Robin.

 

Regina suddenly did a double take. Why the hell did he come to mind? The two of them hadn’t even been on their first date. She barely knew him a couple of weeks. He shouldn’t be on the list of reasons for her to stay sober.

 

Yet, there he was. She couldn’t have a future with him if she slipped. Even if she didn’t know what that would bring, she knew deep down that it wasn’t worth it.

 

Regina kept her eyes off the bottle for the rest of the night, her mind floating back to everything she had to fight for. Even the person that she wasn’t aware she wanted to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have questions for me or the characters? Follow me on Tumblr: findingtallahassee and Twitter/CuriousCat: justanoutlawfic! And of course, let me know what you think. :)


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